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Does It Get Easier?
So i have had my own home childcare for a year now (without an assistant) and so far im still learning something new everyday... my question is to those who have been doing it for years, do you grow more patient each year and does it get easier each year? please comment! =)
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Yes it does get easier and you get better at it, more patient, etc, thats assuming that daycare is the right fit and you keep learning how to improve and such. Just like any job...if you arent getting better at it as the years go on, there is something wrong. -
I think it gets easier in that you develop a routine that works and a system of inquring at interviews that really helps you determine if the family is a good fit for your care.
You realize earlier if a child is a wrong fit. Your backbone gets stronger and you learn how to balance things out more
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I think it gets easier in that you develop a routine that works and a system of inquring at interviews that really helps you determine if the family is a good fit for your care.
You realize earlier if a child is a wrong fit. Your backbone gets stronger and you learn how to balance things out more
THis
Any business would fail without a plan of action and consistency. In this business it is more important than any other out there. Children thrive and grow off of consistency.
Here is mine
Daily Routine and Schedule
7:30- arrivals and free play
8:30 -8:55- Breakfast
8:55-9:05-Bathroom/Hygiene time, free play
9:05-9:25-Wiggle time/ Singing – Wednesday and Fridays
9:25-9:40- Circle Time/ discussion time, explore the weather, calendar and learn a new rhyme or song
9:40- Bathroom Break/hygiene time
9:45-10:20- individual lesson, activity tables, 10 min clean up time before snack
10:30- 10:45 snack time (wash hands)
10:45-11:50 -Outside free play
11:55-12:20- Recap of morning lesson plan/ work on project of the day
12:20-12:30:- Lunch prep, Bathroom/ Hygiene time
12:30-12:45 Lunch/ Clean up, story at lunch
12:45-1:00- nap set up and stories
12:55-1:00- Nap/Quiet time
1:00-3:15 Wake up time/ Nap Clean up
3:15-3:30-Bathroom,Hygiene, and snack
3:30-3:45-Circle Time
3:45-4:30- Structured Activities,
4:30-5:30- Free Play Outside and Prep for homeComment
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I've been doing it for 8 years and in the beginning I let the dckps and dcks walk all over me. It made things really hard because I felt so used and angry most of the time. Once I started to stand up for myself and realize that sometimes some kids are just not a good fit for your daycare it got a lot easier. I learned what worked and what didn't work. I learned how to deal with different situations and to not take things the kids or parents did or said to heart. I also took a stand and decided that this was my business and that in the end the decisions about how I chose to run my business was completely up to me and not the dcps. Their little ones need to fit into my routine and not the other way around.
Now I take kids on a 2 week trial basis. At the end of 2 weeks I know if having this child in my care is going to completely stress me out or not. If it does I don't enter into a contract with the dcp.
I used to question myself a lot too. I would question all my decisions and wonder if I was making the right decisions when it came to my daycare. Especially when I was deciding wether or not to term.
Now I trust myself and I trust my judgment.
I am confident that I am doing my very best to provide a warm atmosphere for the kids I care for and that makes me feel good.Comment
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Yes it does being on a schedule is what helps me and you learn each day how to make the next day betterComment
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Yes and Yes! Practice makes perfect
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Yes...but
It does get easier but it seems to go in waves..depends on your kids and families. I have been doing this for 20 years off and on...I either have a group where all the kids and families are great then there are times where I have a group that makes things difficult. The longer you do it the more you learn what you can and can't put up with it and what types of personalities you can handle. I used to LOVE LOVE having babies all the time..as I have gotten older I am finding I am a better fit for the 2 and up crowd so now I am going to just start taking that age(although I have 4 under 2 now..I love their famillies). Like others said schedules and routine are the key.
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It does get easier. My first year - I am embarrassed to admit - I cried almost every night, thinking I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I HATED it! I was bored, frustrated, and lonely. Over the past three years, I have learned what works and what doesn't work. I have also learned what I can handle and what I can't. Once I got over being afraid to lose clients and bending over backwards, things became much easier.
I think you get more patient, but also learn not to take any crap, from the parents or the kids. I think once you get to that point, it is a different world!
It is a hard adjustment, but it can and will get easier with time!Comment
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The first year will have been your toughest! You will learn more each year, relax more, and be more confident in your decisions. Granted, there will be challenging families/children, and you have to decide early on that they are not going to work out. But, cut yourself some slack, everyone gets frustrated once in a while! I don't know any of my friends who have regular jobs who don't "gripe" about things regularly!
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I think it gets easier in that you develop a routine that works and a system of inquring at interviews that really helps you determine if the family is a good fit for your care.
You realize earlier if a child is a wrong fit. Your backbone gets stronger and you learn how to balance things out more what she said.
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This is my last year (yippie) but looking back it absolutely gets better. I cringe when I remember how much I let parents walk all over me and how hard it was with the children.Comment
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